AOL Artists

My name is Anna Maria, and I am lucky enough to play dress-up for a living. I am a prop and wardrobe and still life stylist for commercial photo shoots and videos. I think I tried every career in fashion before stumbling upon what I do now.

I didn't know it back then, but everything I did prepared me for what I do today. I studied fashion design; after college I opened and ran a clothing boutique that sold independent designers and vintage clothes. I freelanced as a fashion writer, I worked in casting, and then finally I found my way onto a fashion set. Along the way I was mentored by some really amazing people like Danny Santiago and Patricia Field.

Every city I live in becomes one giant scavenger hunt for me. From couture showrooms to hardware stores, I know where to get anything. I am as happy doing wardrobe as I am prop and still life styling. I fabricate and build things large and small. I source perfect color, and find creative solutions for challenging shots. If you can think it up, I can figure out how to have it made. On a fashion set, I can make a size 20 into a size 2 and vice versa in less than five minutes. I make pictures look perfect, and that means a different thing every day.

My clients include Barney's, Urban Outfitters, Teen Vogue, Converse, David Yurman, Coach, AOL, Reebok, Lacoste, HBO, NBC, the Discovery Channel, Powerade, AT&T, Nokia, Kellogg's, Warner Brothers, Universal Motown Records, Starwood Hotels, Washington Mutual, Spiegel, Lord & Taylor, Little Brown and Co., Fashion Union, Belk, Health magazine, and Ocean Drive magazine.